Ukraine ‘appreciates’ Iraq’s vote at UN against Russian war, says chief diplomat

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kyiv hails Baghdad’s vote in favor of ending the Russian war in Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly in late February, the east European country’s foreign minister said in Baghdad on Monday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrived in the Iraqi capital, where he was received by his counterpart, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. He is the first high-level diplomat to have visited the country in the past 11 years.

“Iraq has supported Ukraine on the international stage since the beginning of the large-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine,” Kuleba said in a joint press conference, adding they particularly “appreciated the positive vote” of Baghdad at the UN General Assembly in February.

“For Iraqis, principles matter,” the Ukrainian diplomat added. Iraq supports ending the ongoing bloody war between Ukraine and Russia and calls for initiating dialogue, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told his counterpart.

FM Hussein said Iraq supports the principle of territorial integrity as it is enshrined in the UN Charter, he added.

Kuleba officially extended an invitation to Hussein to visit Ukraine.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia’ Al-Sudani and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently had a phone conversation to discuss strengthening bilateral ties as well as developments of the ongoing war.

In February last year, Moscow launched a full-scale military incursion into Ukraine, which has led to millions of people being displaced and the death of thousands from both sides.

Bolstered by its Western allies, Ukraine had resisted the massive offensive, which Russia calls a “special military operation” and had caused massive material damage to the country.